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Reaching Out to Diverse Populations: What Can Schools Do to Foster Family-School Connections?

Abstract

Family involvement in schools is often limited to a small group of parents who seem to do everything. Culturally diverse families may not feel they fit in at the school or have a different perspective on what it means to be involved, so they are often left out of school activities.

How can schools move beyond a limited level of family involvement and encourage all families to become more active in their children's schools and education? A new strategy brief from the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) helps answer this question. It discusses strategies helpful to schools that want to broaden and deepen involvement beyond the traditional fundraising or party-planning activities.

The brief concludes with a list of studies which present current research, define what is known about diversity issues related to family and community connections with schools, and provide further insight into an array of strategies that school staff can use
to develop and implement quality family and community involvement efforts with diverse populations.